Weft-replenishing loom.



No. 808,966. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

' H. W, WYMAN, DEOD.

M. H. WYMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX.

WEFT RBPLENISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHIEET 1.

No. 808,966. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

H. W. WYMAN, DEGD. .M. H. WYMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX.

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Izz/ewl'mr:

UNITED STATES PATENT HORACE W. WYMAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS; MARYH. WYMAN ADMINISTRATRIX CF SAID HORACE W. WYMAN, DECEASED.

WEFT-REPLENISHVING 1.00M.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed May 11, 1905. Serial No. 259,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE W. WYMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at I Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWeft- Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to looms and to that class of looms havingfilling-supply mechanism and filling-detector mechanism to detect thesubstantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle and shifting ordrop shuttleboxes; and my invention particularly relates to improvementson the loom of the class referred to shown and described in my UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 665,845 of January 8, 1901. In said patentedloom the filling detector or feeler mechanism adjacent the shifting ordrop shuttle-boxes moves up and down with the shuttle-boxes in asubstantially vertical plane, so that the filling detectors or feelerswill always maintain proper'relation to the shuttle-boxes and feel forand detect the practical exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle.

In my improvements as herein shown and described I provide a frame orsupport for the filling detectors or feelers adjacent the shifting ordrop shuttle-boxes which has a pivotal motion to move the detectors orfeelers vertically in the arc of a circle. As the shifting or dropshuttle-boxes move up or down, according to the indications of thepattern-surface, the frame or support for the de tectors or feelers,which preferably is connected with the vertically-moving shuttlebox rod,will have a pivotal motion, and each detector or feeler will moveuniformly with its cooperating shuttle-box with an angular movement,whereby a detector or feeler will contact with the bobbin, which is inthe shuttle next to be thrown when the lay is in its forward position,without regard to whether the shuttle-boxes are to be shifted from oneposition to another or whether the boxes remain stationary for a numberof picks, the bobbin in said shuttle being at the nearest point to thepivotal point of the pivoted frame. The other filling detectors orfeelers being at a greater distance from their cooperating bobbins, dueto the feelers moving in the arc of a circle and away from the straightvertical movement of the shuttle-boxes, will not contact with theirbobbins, and therefore will be given no unnecessary movement.

In carrying out my improvements as herein shown and described I haveprovided a plurality of electromagnets carried on a pivoted frame andhaving magnetized cores or pins movable back and forth in the magnets.Said pins act as detectors or feelers, one for each shuttle-box.

In connection with the magnetized pins acting as detectors or feelers Ihave employed mechanism of substantially the same construction andoperation as shown in my said Patent No. 665,845 for operating thefillingchange mechanism to supply fresh filling in the usual andwell-known way.

I have shown in the drawings my improvements applied to a loom ofwell-known construction and operation corresponding to the loom shownand described in my said patent, and as my present improvements relatesonly to the filling detector or feeler frame and the pivotal movementthereof to move the de tectors or feelers vertically in the arc of acircle instead of in a straight line it will only be necessary todescribe very briefly the other parts of the loom shown in the drawings.

The same characters of reference are used in the drawings as are used inmy said patent for similar parts.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of portions of a loomhaving my improvements thereon. The shuttle-boxes are shown in section.Fig. 2 is a plan view and partial section of the shuttle-box end portionshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is, on an enlarged scale, a detached side viewof the filling-de tector mechanism; and Fig. 4 shows, on an enlargedscale, a modified construction of the filling detector or feelerdetached.

The loom-frame A, crank-shaft A, camshaft B, gears B B connecting thecrank and cam shafts, the main shuttlebox lever C, pivoted at C andcarrying at one end the connecting-rod C connected to the shuttlebox rodC at its lower end, mutilated gear D on the cam-shaft B, mutilated gearD, having the movable teeth by which it is forced into and out ofoperative connection with the gear D through the arm D stud D connectingrod D, rock-shaft D and connector D to the pattern mechanism, (notshown,) the spring E and link F, connected to one end of the shuttle-boxlever C, by which said lever is operated from the mutilated gear D toraise and lower the shuttle-boxes according to the desired pattern, areand may be all of the ordinary and usual construction.

Mounted on the opposite end of the loomframe is any usual form ofconstruction of magazine or hopper II, carrying a series offilling-carriers a, airanged in groups, each roup containingfilling-carriers having dif- 'erentcolored fillings, corresponding withthe fillings used in the series of shuttles of the shifting shuttleboxes, and the magazinehopper is moved positively and in unison witheach change of position of the shuttleboxes to thus place and keepopposite the transferrer a a filling-carrier having a fillingcorresponding in character or color with the filling in the activeshuttle, all as fully shown and described in United States LettersPatent No. 600,053, to which reference may be made.

Suitably pivoted to the breast-beam at a is a transferrer a having itsend a disposed in relation to the filling-carriers a, as shown in saidUnited. States Letters Patent No. 600,053, referred to. A spring (0normally holds the end of the transferrer above the lowestfilling-carrier. Fixedly connected with the transferrer at its pivotalconnection a to the breast-beam is an arm a having pivoted at its lowerend the dagger a, which rests upon a lifter a secured to the shaft (1,running lengthwise of the breast-beam. Fromthis construction it isevident that if the lifter a should be raised by the turning of theshaft (1 in the direction of the arrow it will raise the dagger a andplace its end in the path of the hunter a secured in this instance tothe lay, and which as the lay moves forward will, through the dagger aand arm a, move the transferrer a to cause it to transfer afillingcarrier at in the usual and well-known way.

At the opposite end of the loom from the magazine H are mounted theshifting or drop shuttle-boxes S, in this instance two in number. Eachshuttle-box carries a shuttle S containing a bobbin or filling-carrier chaving in this instance a metal or other band 0, (see Fig. 2,) normallycovered by the filling on the bobbin; but whensaid filling is exhaustedto a predetermined amount, usually sufficient to make two or threepicks, such band is exposed. In the side of each shuttle S adjacent theband 0 on the filling-carrier c is formed a hole 0, and in linetherewith, when the shuttle is properly boxed, is a corresponding hole0, formed in the wall a of each shuttle-box, the wall a being in thisinstance represented as the shuttle-binder.

When the shuttles S are properly boxed in the drop shuttle-boxes S, thehole 0 c and the band 0 in the active shuttle will coincide inalinement, and they are so disposed with relation to the fillingdetectors or feelers, to be hereinafter described, that on each for wardbeat of the lay the filling detector or feeler in line with the activeshuttle will enter said holes and feel for the filling on the carrlers.

Secured to the shaft d, extending alongthe front part of the breast-beamin the usual way, is an arm d, (see Fig. 1,) bearing at its upper endagainst the forward end of a slide (2., which may be provided with aspring 6 Fig. 2, to normally force it toward the lay, and has at itsinner end, pivoted thereto at e, an actuator 6 the forward end of whichhas a down-turned hook 6 Fig. 1, adapted to be engaged when depressedwith the upper end of a hammerf, pivoted atf and having a pin or rollerfthereon, which travels on the surface of a cam K, secured to thecamshaft B. (See Fig. 1.)

The end 6 of the actuator e on the side of the pivot a opposite the hooke is enlarged or weighted, which. tends to normally hold the hook end 6of the actuator 6 out of the path of movement of the upper end of thevibrating hammerf. Should the end 6 of the actuator e be forced intoengagement with the upper end of the hammerf, the latter will move theactuator and the slide 6 forward and also move the arm d to turn theshaft (Z and lift the dagger a in the path of the hunter a and cause thefilling-change mechanism to operate in the ordinary way.

In order to depress the hook c of the actuator (5 into the path of thevibrating hammerf, I provide in this instance on the breastbeam adjacentthe slidee the stand i and pivot therein a depressor, preferablycomprising a bell-crank lever one arm 2 of which projects over the hookend a of the actuator e and which when free to move will under theaction of gravity overcome the weight of the end 6* of the actuator eand depress the end a of the actuator e to enable the vibrating hammerto engage and move the same and the slide 6, as above described. To theother downwardly-extending arm 77 of the bell-crank lever forming thedepressor I connect a rod m, adapted to have a longitudinal movement ina suitable guide m (see Fig. 2) and which when free to move will move tothe left, Fig. 2, through the downward movement of the arm i of thedepressor above described. The outer end m of the detectorrod m isenlarged or has an engaging surface thereon which is adapted to extendin the path of and be in abutting contact with the filling detector orfeeler which is in line with the active shuttle, and if at such time thefilling detector or feeler should indicate a practical exhaustion offilling in the active shuttle then the detector or feeler will be movedforwardly on the backward stroke of the lay to way. As the shuttle-boxesrise and fall between the strokes of the lay, it is evident that thereare times when no one of the feelers is in line with the end of thedetector-rod m, and at such times provisions are made through certainmechanism to prevent the arm i of the depressor from depressing theactuator 0 I will now describe said mech anism.

Upon the camshaft B is fast a cam K, in the cam-groove of which travelsa roller 7c, secured to one end of a lever K pivoted at k to a bracket70 and carrying at its opposite end a vertically-moving rod k (termedthe depressor-controller,) which rod passes through a guide k (see Fig.3,) secured to the breast-beam. The upper end of the rod 76 extendsdirectly under the arm i of the de pressor, and on the upward movementof said rod k under the action of the cam K the upper end of said rod Mwill contact with and raise and support the said arm i and hold it outof contact with the hook end 6 of the actuator 6 The timing of the cam Kis such that as the shifting shuttle-boxes S and the filling detectorsor feelers connected therewith rise and fall between the picks and arenot in position to prevent endwise movement of the detector-rod m therod 7r will be raised to su )port the arm i of the depressor out ofcontact with the hook end 6 of the actuator c and with the engaging endm out of the plane of movement of the filling detectors or feelers b.When the shifting shuttlebox stops with a shuttle on a line with therace and its filling detector or feeler b is in position to be engagedby the end m of the detector-rod m, then the rod 7c is lowered, throughthe rotation of the cam K, to release the arm t" andallow it to rest onthe hook end 6 of the actuator e and to allow the detector-rod m to bemoved outwardly and the end m thereof to contact with the feeler b atits rear end to prevent further movement of the detector-rod m. If thepractical exhaustion of filling is indicated at this time, the end m ofthe detector-rod m will pass by the outer end of the feeler, whichwillmove in wardly, and the parts will be operated in the usual way andas fully described in Patent No. 665,845, above referred to. After theparts have operated to supply fresh filling the engagement of thedepressor-controller k with the arm t" to raise said arm will, throughthe movement of the bell-crank lever, of which said arm forms a part,return the detector-rod m to its normal position.

All of the above parts correspond with the parts designated by similarletters in my said patent and form no part of my present improvements,but may be used in connection therewith.

I will now describe my present improvements, which, as above stated,relate simply to the filling detector or feeler mechanism to detectsubstantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle.

To the lower end of the shuttle-box rod C is attached the lower end of arod g. The upper end of the rod g is pivotally connected at g to theinner end of a filling detector or feeler carrying frame N, which at itsouter end is pivotally mounted in this instance on a stand 0, secured toa bracket P, extending out from the loom-frame. The filling detector orfeeler carrying frame N has a pivotal motion in a vertical plane and hassupported thereon in this instance two detectors or feelers b, one foreach shuttle-box and each shut tle therein.

The feelers Z), as shown in the drawings, correspond to the feelers b ofmy said Patent No. 665,845 and consist in this instance of a balancedmagnetic body or pin free to have a longitudinal movement in a suitablesupport, and in the form represented the body or pin 1) consists of apiece of soft iron loosely supported in the center of a coil of wire b,through which an electric current is adapted to pass by means of thewires 1 and 2, leading to the opposite poles of any suitable source ofelectric energy, forming thereby, in effect, a solenoid. Thus during thepassage of an electric current through the wire coil the feeler b willbe held in the center of the coil in a balanced conditionthat is, whilethe feeler will be free to yield longitudinally under a disturbing forceit will be normally held as the core of a solenoid with its endsprojecting beyond the ends of the wire coil and will be, in effect, amagnet. The end I) of the feeler is preferably enlarged to prevent thesame from being drawn entirely from the wire coil on the engagement ofthe feeler with the band on the bobbin, all as fully described in mysaidPatent No. 665,845. The filling-feelers b in addition to theirlongitudinal movement have a movement in the arc of a circle and are soplaced relatively to the shuttles and shuttle-boxes that when the lay isin its forward position only the feeler which is in line with the activeshuttle will enter the shuttle to detect substantial exhaustion offilling therein in the normal operation of the loom. The other feelerwill remain substantially stationary, its projecting end simply enteringthe opening in the shuttle without engaging the filling sufficiently tobe moved longitudinally thereby. (See Fig. 3.l

While I have shown and described my improvements in a pivoted fillingdetector or feeler carrying frame, combined with and used in connectionwith my improvements patented in Patent No. 665,845, referred to above,it will be understood that my improvements may be used in connectionwith other forms of filling-change mechanism of weftreplenishing looms,and my present impro vements may be used in connection with myimprovements shown and described in my ICO United States Patent No.687,470, in which a spring is used in connection with the fillingdetector or feeler.

I have shown and described my improvements in connection with twoshifting or drop shuttle boxes; but they may equally well be used inconnection with more than two shifting or drop shuttle boxes by addingan additional filling detector or feeler for each shuttle-box.

It will be understood that instead of forming the feelers l) as cores ofsolenoids I may use a magnetized body or feeler of the constructionshown in my Patent No. 665,559. In Fig. 6 thereof and shown herein inFig. 4, in which the magnetized body or feeler R is mounted and guidedin ears 1" on a stand r, a spring I? surrounds said feelers between theears 1 and a transverse pin 15 in the feeler R acts to limit the extentof movement of the feeler R as it clings to the magnetic body on thebobbin. as fully described in said Patent No. 665,559. The stand will beattached to. the pivoted frame N. If preferred, I may use any othersuitable .[llling detector or feeler to detect substantial exhaustion offilling in the active shuttle, said detector or feeler having a movementin the are of a circle in addition to its longitudinal movement.

I have not shown in the drawings'or described any means for stopping theloom upon the breaking or entire exhaustion of filling, as theconstruction and operation of said means, comprising the fillingdetector or fork mechanism and intermediate connections to the knock-offlever, are well known and are always used on looms, as is wellunderstood, and will be used on looms having my improvements thereon.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, the combination with Shift-'1 ing or drop shuttle-boxes,of aplurality of fill ing-detector feelers, adapted to enter theshuttles, and having a longitudinal movement and also a movement in theare of a circle.

2. In a loom, a plurality of filling-detector feelers, to detectsubstantial exhaustion of filling in the shuttles, said feelers movingin the arc of a circle in a vertical plane.

3. In a loom, the combination with aframe or support having a pivotalmovement in a vertical plane, of a plurality of electromagnets carriedon said frame or support.

4. In a loom, shifting or drop shuttle-boxes, a frame pivotallysupported and carrying a plurality of filling-detector feelers,connectionsintermediate said frame and the shuttleboXes, to communicatea pivotal movement to said frame at each movement of the shuttle-boxes,and cause the feelers to move in the arc of a circle so that only thefeeler in line with the active shuttle will be in position to detectsubstantial exhaustion of filling.

5. In a loom, shifting shuttle-boxes, a frame pivotally supported andcarrying a plurality of filling-detector feelers, connectionsintermediate said frame and the shuttleboxes, to communicate a pivotalmovement to said frame at each movement of the shuttle-boxes, and causethe feelers to move in the arc of a circle, a detectorrod, and connections intermediate said rod and the bunter of the filling-changemechanism, to cause said mechanism to operate when said detector-rodmoves past the end of a feeler and said bunter.

6. In a loom, the combination with shifting shuttle-boxes, ofa pluralityof filling-de tector feelers, one for each shuttle-box, and

.means for supporting said feelers, and for moving them with an angularor pivotal mo tion uniformly with the movement of the shuttle-boxes.

7. In a loom, the combination with shifting shuttle-boxes, and means tomove them, of a plurality of electromagnets having movable cores orfeelers, a pivotal or angular movable frame carrying said magnets, andmeans to move said frame to cause said feelers to have an angular orpivotal movement in a vertical plane.

8. In a loom, a plurality of movable fillingdetector feelers, and meansfor supporting the same to cause the detecting ends of said feelers tomove with an angular movement.

9. In a loom, a lay, a series of shuttle-boXes movable vertically onsaid lay and carrying bobbins, a plurality of filling-detector feelersmoved in the arc of a circle on a pivoted frame, and said frame having apivotal motion whereby a feeler will contact only with the bobbin in theactive shuttle to detect substantial exhaustion of filling, when the layis moved to its forward position.

HORACE W. WYMAN. I/Vitnesses J. C. DEWEY, M. HAAs.

